New daily limit set as dove hunting season begins in South Carolina

HORRY COUNTY, SC (WMBF) – With dove hunting season set to open Labor Day weekend, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources is letting hunters know about a new daily bag limit.

According to an SCDNR press release, the daily bag limit for the 2016-2017 season is 12 birds per day.

During the 2015-2016 season, SCDNR saw one of the lowest harvest rates since the department began collecting information in 2003, the release stated. The average number of doves harvested by hunters on public fields was 2.75.

The South Carolina dove season is Sept. 3 through Sept. 5; Sept 6 through Oct. 15; Nov. 12 through Nov. 26; and Dec. 15 through Jan. 15.

Legal hunting hours, with the exception of Sept. 3 through Sept. 5, are from 30 minutes before sunrise until sunset.